Chapter 74 …
The moment I saw the red flower, I immediately recognized it as an Abenlize.
Abenlize was a cherished memory for Wilhelm and a rare species not easily found. It was the very flower I had brought to Wilhelm, who was on the brink of lovesickness, when I had just arrived at the Grimlore Duchy.
“So you didn’t come empty-handed to pay a visit,” I thought.
It was obvious what presenting an Abenlize at this point meant. Kaulen was daringly challenging me, even going so far as to touch Wilhelm’s memories.
“See what kind of audacious act that impudent brat has done to your father,” Kaulen said.
“…Well, all I see is a beautiful flower,” Wilhelm replied.
“Do not be deceived by its beauty. This flower is poisonous!”
“Poisonous?”
Wilhelm’s tone carried a trace of puzzlement. Kaulen faltered slightly at his skeptical reaction, but quickly regained composure and pressed forward.
“This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. There was an incident where Levieta was suspected of spreading a plague by a maid. At the time, it was concluded that the maid was simply spreading false rumors, so she was expelled—but in reality, it could have been the other way around.”
“That matter has already been thoroughly investigated. What are you trying to say?”
“That cunning little thing deceived Grimlore!”
With Wilhelm’s questioning gaze fueling him, Kaulen’s pointed finger stabbed at me like an arrow.
‘Looks like you’re having a lot of fun,’ I thought.
Kaulen seemed certain of his victory. He was enjoying himself so much, pressing me under the pretense of concern for Wilhelm’s health, that the corners of his mouth lifted unnaturally high.
‘But no matter how hard you corner me, it doesn’t change the fact that Abenlize isn’t poisonous.’
I glanced sideways at Wilhelm and saw his displeased expression.
Wilhelm openly showed his irritation toward Kaulen, but the bold Kaulen, oblivious to social cues, didn’t know when to stop.
“Think about it. How could someone like me have found an Abenlize, extinct across the empire? That girl not only deliberately approached Gilbert, but also created a counterfeit flower to mimic the real one, cunningly tricking your father.”
“At this point, I’d like to look into your head. According to you, Levieta is a cunning child, and Gilbert and I are fools who fall for a child’s lies,” Wilhelm said, frowning and clearly showing his displeasure.
Kaulen, realizing that Wilhelm’s trust in me was stronger than expected, had no choice but to step back with a face that said, This isn’t going as planned.
Though his momentum faltered slightly, he wasn’t giving up entirely.
“Believing a wizard is one of the most foolish things you can do. Wake up, Father.”
“The one who needs to wake up is you. You come barging in with nonsense and now—you’ve come all this way just to spout such pitiful claims…”
Cough! Cough! Wilhelm suddenly began coughing.
“My lord!”
“Your Excellency!”
Sevek hurried over when he saw blood in the cough, supporting Wilhelm with practiced familiarity that made my heart sink.
‘He’s been unwell for quite some time…’
If only I had realized sooner. No, I had anticipated this from the beginning, but even I had no viable solution.
‘I must have checked every reputable doctor in the empire, but none could help.’
As emphasized multiple times in the original, Wilhelm’s symptoms had no specific diagnosis; it could only be attributed to a general decline in health, and thus there was no clear cure.
If only, like Kaulen claimed, I had approached Wilhelm with truly malicious intent. Then at least, if poisoned, there would have been an antidote.
But Abenlize was harmless to humans—a flower that was beautiful and nothing more. There was no way its proximity could have affected Wilhelm’s health…
‘…Huh?’
Suddenly, a realization struck me.
If it had no effect on humans, then it could still affect non-human creatures.
The “miraculous flower” that the Erindor Divine Kingdom desperately sought to revive the last dragon.
To humans, it was merely a beautiful red flower, but to dragons, it granted the power of immortality.
All the signs pointed to a single truth.
‘Abenlize is the key to negotiations!’
Healing the patient. Ultimately, even ending the war.
In mere seconds, seeing far into the future, I snatched the flower from Kaulen’s hand, my eyes blazing.
“What—what are you doing?!”
“This is necessary.”
“Hah! Do you think destroying evidence will erase the crime? You babbled away before, but now in a hurry, your true colors are showing.”
“No, not me…”
This was an object the Erindor Divine Kingdom could never refuse!
They revered dragons as gods; there was no reason or justification for them to deny the revival of a dragon. The future of the empire and the divine kingdom now rested in my hands.
More precisely, in the flower I held.
“Request negotiations with the Divine Kingdom immediately.”
“What? Who gave you the authority to order me around? Do you take me for your subordinate?!”
“Honestly, I’m asking because you’re a diplomat. Can you, or can you not?”
“Go away!”
Kaulen sharply slapped the back of my hand with a commanding gesture. It didn’t hurt, but the rejection was firm enough that I couldn’t speak again.
‘Still, I can’t return to the royal palace.’
Leading an unofficial negotiation didn’t require it anyway. Whether fortunate or not, it was possible to locate the Divine Kingdom’s agents right here at the Grimlore Duchy.
‘This one’s a spy, that one’s a spy… why was my husband the only one not a spy?’
Recalling all the foolish actions so far made me feel sick to my stomach.
I had to solidify my position in the duchy, at least to avoid returning to the royal palace. With Eve Maria and Diego’s divorce scheduled, it was better to finish matters before she arrived.
‘So, this is something I’m doing for myself.’
I steadied my heart with rational reasoning, but the moment I held Wilhelm’s hand, my resolve crumbled.
“My lord…”
“I’m fine. I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“Don’t say that. You told me yourself: the great Grimlore must never lose its pride.”
“Yes, you did. But it seems that before the years, all humans are equal.”
Having already told him not to speak like that, I couldn’t repeat the words—even if I wanted to.
“My time… is almost up.”
I should have spoken sooner. Instead, tears spilled over, wetting my eyes.
Kaulen’s secretary, Bones James.
Clumsy and frequently scolded, he was not the type to arouse suspicion easily, but I could not be fooled. Even the name seemed suspicious, and any possessed soul would notice.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice, Mr. Bones.”
“Ah, n-no, Your Highness… I mean… Viscountess! Eek! I’m sorry for my mistake…! I’m scatterbrained, sorry! Sorry!”
As Bones bowed, his dark hair flopped chaotically, and the large glasses precariously hanging from his ears fell to the floor under gravity’s pull.
Startled, Bones reached for his glasses, but my voice echoed in the empty room.
“I hate wasting time. Since Kaulen isn’t here, stop this cheap act. Wasn’t the period enough for the information shared by Shadow to reach your ears?”
It happened in an instant.
The previously dazed man vanished, replaced by a rapidly approaching Bones, knife at my throat, his face deadly serious.
If I hadn’t reached for his heart to ensure I could respond with magic at any moment, nothing could be guaranteed.
‘Phew. That was terrifying.’
The sensation of standing on the brink of death never gets easier. Once Eve Maria’s fall and Rosinante’s succession were confirmed, I would retreat to some nameless valley to live quietly.
“I didn’t expect such a fervent response,” I said.
“Speak. How much do you know?”
Even though this was an act, it was hard to believe the same man who had been repeatedly apologizing was now dripping with the murderous intent to kill without hesitation.
